This study sought to investigate the growth rate and organic carbon and nutrient removal efficiency of Chlorella sorokiniana under autotrophic, heterotrophic and mixotrophic conditions. Growth rates of the microalgae were 0.24 d(-1), 0.53 d(-1) and 0.44 d(-1) in autotrophic, heterotrophic and mixotrophic conditions, respectively. The growth rate of C sorokiniana was significantly higher for that grown under heterotrophic conditions. The nitrogen removal rates were 13.1 mg-N/L/day, 23.9 mg-N/L/day and 19.4 mg-N/L/day, respectively. The phosphorus removal rates reached to 3.4 mg-P/L/day, 5.6 mg-P/L/day and 5.1 mg-P/L/day, respectively. Heterotrophic conditions were superior in terms of the microalgae growth and removal of nitrogen and phosphorus compared to autotrophic and mixotrophic conditions, suggesting that microalgae cultured under this condition would be most useful for application in wastewater treatment systems. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.